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Sun To Release 8-Core Niagara 2 Processor
An anonymous reader writes "Sun Microsystems is set to announce its eight-core Niagara 2 processor next week. Each core supports eight threads, so the chip handles 64 simultaneous threads, making it the centerpiece of Sun's "Throughput Computing" effort. Along with having more cores than the quads from Intel and AMD, the Niagara 2 have dual, on-chip 10G Ethernet ports with cryptographic capability. Sun doesn't get much processor press, because the chips are used only in its own CoolThreads servers, but Niagara 2 will probably be the fastest processor out there when it's released, other than perhaps the also little-known 4-GHz IBM Power 6."
Because it isn't main stream. Their stuff is really, really expensive. That doesn't mean there's not a place for it (they'd not be in business if there wasn't) but most people just don't care because they can't pay that price. As an example we just took an old Sun server off of maintenance because we've moved all functions off of it. The cost of maintenance was $2,500 per year. No, that's not a typo. Ok well for that price, we can literally buy a new fairly high performance server from someone like Dell or Gateway (with a 3 year warranty).
Well, when you are talking in price classes of that nature, most people just don't give a shit. A new Intel or AMD processor is exciting because it is something that is in the realm of what people can actually afford. Even if the item itself is high end, you know it'll be coming down soon enough. Intel's quads were over a grand when they launched, now you get get one for like $300. Sun stuff based on their own chips (and even not) is just damn expensive. If you aren't an enterprise type user it just isn't going to be on the list of things you'll get.
Thus much less press.
Also, their processor division has been kinda lagging. The SPARC offerings prior to this really haven't stacked up that well against what Intel and AMD have. We got a Sun Fire V440 and it works fine and all for the SPARC only apps we have, but for things that will run on x86, it gets blown away by Core 2 Duos.
The Niagara looks cool but the base model is $10,000 which gets you the 4 core version of the chip and 8GB of RAM. If you want the 8 core setup, that's $21,500 minimum. At those prices, there's going to be little mainstream press as that is out of the range of even most companies. Thus most people just don't care, as Sun never will be bringing it to the masses (barring a massive strategy change).
Understand this: I don't give a shit if you have a Sun. Really, I don't. They hold no mystique for me, we've got probably 30 or so at work (about half and half servers and workstations).
My point is simply why Sun doesn't get press, even on new CPUs. The reason is that they are Sun only chips, and Suns are fucking expensive. Thus most people just don't care about them. Tom's Hardware is not going to be reviewing them for the enthusiast market, for example, they are waaaaay out of that range. Same shit with the Power 6. Great chip, coming never to a desktop near you. These specialised high end products are just not of mass interest if for no other reason than price.
Also, interestingly enough, long running systems aren't something that is a benefit in many cases. That's the whole reason we are discontinuing maintenance on our big Sun box. Now that important services are off of it, we can (and will if it breaks) replace it with a cheap server. Even if that cheap server breaks right at the end of its warranty, it is still a money saver, a big one.
I understand the market for enterprise systems, I also understand that it is small.
For $2.2K I got a barebone 2xE5320, 8G RAM db, 250G HD, motherboard and case.
omg yes u r rite tehy shoud just all use teh powerfulll ai em dee its so k3wl lol